Joseph was not the favorite for the Broncos job, as he was one of three candidates interviewed along with Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub.

The former University of Colorado quarterback, Joseph, apparently blew Elway away in the interview and the team now has a head coach with both a collegiate offensive and professional defensive background, potentially the best of both worlds.

At 44 years of age, Joseph has been an assistant coach for 18 years and has paid his dues waiting for this opportunity.

“Vance has been in preparation for this opportunity for many years,” former Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, who retired at the end of the 2016 regular season said. “He is a leader of men who gets the most out of his players. VJ is demanding yet passionate in his relationship with them. He is a tremendous addition to the Bronco family. I am so proud of him. His future and the future of the Denver Broncos is very bright. I congratulate VJ, and it’s very well deserved.”

Joseph worked with Kubiak on his staff in Houston, and he also worked with Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who is currently a head coaching free agent.

With any head coaching hire, especially one without head coaching experience, the coaching staff he builds is vital to his success. It’s a certainty that Joseph will try to convince Phillips to give it one more run as his defensive coordinator.

On the offensive side of the ball, where the Broncos struggled mightily this season, Joseph and Elway are supposedly trying to sway former Denver OC and San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy to make a return to the Mile High City. McCoy has proven in the past that he can adapt any of his offensive philosophies to the talent around him, and he made his mark as he navigated the team to the postseason with former quarterback Tim Tebow, who is unable to throw the football.

Previous front office success gives the benefit of the doubt to teams that make questionable hires, and that’s certainly true of the Broncos situation. Hiring a defensive head coach when most of their problems revolve around their offense is certainly a questionable move. Especially if it’s a first-time head coach.

Elway’s success certainly makes the move less scrutinized, while we question the Jacksonville Jaguars hire of Doug Marrone, solely based on their front office’s lack of success.

About Charlie Bernstein

Charlie Bernstein is the managing football editor for Football Insiders and has covered the NFL for over a decade. Charlie has hosted drive time radio for NBC and ESPN affiliates in different markets around the country, along with being an NFL correspondent for ESPN Radio and WFAN. He has been featured on the NFL Network as well as Sirius/XM NFL Radio and has been published on Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, ESPN as well as numerous other publications.